


Creature from the Allural Deep

by MadMacha



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Road Trip, Angst and Humor, Bisexuality, Eventual Romance, F/M, Final Fantasy XV - Freeform, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Free Willy, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Magitek, Muteness, Road Trips, Romance, Shape of Water meets Splash, Sign Language, accidental Promnis, mermaid au, road trip with a fish girl
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-28
Updated: 2018-04-13
Packaged: 2019-04-14 00:20:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14124060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MadMacha/pseuds/MadMacha
Summary: During another "bust a base" the guys find and free an unexpected experiment.(something rough and quick so I can get the idea out and hopefully fix my writers block on my novel haha)





	1. Chapter 1

Ignis had insisted on a night infiltration under the cover of dark. No one argued but some were not as stealthy as the others and had a difficult time with it. On cue, a low thud vibrated through a steel beam behind him. Ignis turned with a frown, meeting large innocent eyes holding back a hint of pain. Prompto hobbled on one foot, holding the other in his hand wincing and Ignis sighed. Noctis held in a snort. Gladio, who took up the rear, didn’t acknowledge the blond’s clumsiness and instead watched for any alerted soldiers. He gave Ignis a nod and the adviser continued, leading the group through the shadows of the base’s large concrete walls.

Noctis bumped into the back of Ignis more that once, anxious to put his sword in something, his hands squeezing shut and flexing open over and over. Ignis held out his hand to hold the party back and adjusted his glasses. A small formation of soldiers and MTs dotted the wide open area where the glowing red tower stood.   
That was their target. He turned to the prince, pointing at his own eyes before directing his charges attention to the soldiers. He held up his index finger to his lips and Noctis nodded eagerly before summoning his sword in a spark of blue light. Then he was gone. A shining blue outline floated a moment where Noctis had stood before dissipating into nothing. The other three waited under cover in case they were needed as Noctis warped from one soldier to the next, quietly dispatching them with ease.

Until he missed one.

Ignis watched in horror and a bit annoyed as the prince threw his sword to warp but didn’t quite make it to the parallel catwalk. He caught the sword midair and proceeded to fall several feet before hitting the pavement with a horrible thump that echoed through Ignis’s ears. He was running. He heard Prompto’s startled yell behind him as the other two took off as well. There weren’t many MTs left but the magitek armor that now marched out into the open would be more difficult to deal with. Ignis was at Noct’s side in an instant, trusting the other two would cover him while he was distracted. A handful of gunshots reassured him. The prince groaned in pain and Ignis shoved a healing potion into his hand, helping him crush it. A glow rippled over him and after a short second Noctis took in a deeper breath and pushed himself up.

“Thanks, specs. Sorry,” he grunted, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment.

“Lets finish this up quickly, shall we?”

Raven hair shook as his charge nodded in one sharp movement and turned towards the fray. A series of familiar puffs and hisses shot from the magitek armor and Ignis shoved the prince out of the way, jumping backwards as he did. Four gray cylinders burrowed into the ground around them and Ignis jumped clear as one by one popped in a small explosion. A piece of shrapnel slid over Ignis’s arm but he managed to avoid the brunt of it. Noctis immediately warped above the giant machine bringing his sword down in a strong swing, knocking the rocket launcher off the back.

The machine staggered a little off balance and Ignis shot forward, taking advantage. His lance appeared in his hand with a spark and he planted the base on the ground as the magitek tilted. The blade sank into the bottom of the machine and Ignis pulled it forward with all his strength, opening a wide gash in the bottom spilling black fluid from the enemy. He instantly brought out his daggers next, flames engulfing the blades as three long back flips put enough distance between him and the machine. As he landed the third he loosed the dagger, using the momentum to land a kick, flinging it into the magitek engine’s exposed belly. The explosion threw him back a few feet, ears ringing.

“—nis!” he shook his head and reached over the pavement finding his glasses miraculously in tact a couple feet away. “Ignis!”

“Yes! I’m alright,” he finally answered, pushing himself up to his feet. The ringing was still present and he had a hard time deciding who had been calling him.

“That was awesome!” The blond appeared next to him first, a hand coming down on his shoulder with a cheerful slap, knocking his glasses askew. Ignis pushed them back up his nose with a small grin.

It was pretty awesome. “Come now, nothing special,” he answered instead and Prompto rolled his eyes.

“Shit, Iggy. I sure as hell didn’t teach you that,” Gladio rumbled, joining them.

“Are we clear then?” Ignis asked, surveying the base. “Where is Noctis?” A small panic set in.

“Over here!” the prince called from a few yards on the opposite side. He had shut down the generator and now stood at the door of a large warehouse. “This is weird, right?” he said as the other three joined him. “Most of the bases have all been out in the open with little trailers right? What do you think they’re keeping in here?”

“Suppose we ought to find out,” Ignis replied.

He wanted to leave before more soldiers had a chance to show up but this was too interesting to pass up. Noctis was right, after all. This was a large facility inside of a base and, as of yet, their first time finding something like this. Noctis tried the door.

“Locked,” he said, stepping back. Gladio grinned and pulled the prince out of the way.

“I got this, your highness,” he replied with a gruff voice and Noctis rolled his eyes.

“My hero,” he grumbled and Gladio took a determined step forward as his other leg came up and planted hard into the door. There was a snap and a groan of metal but it didn’t open. He tried again. A louder snap cracked through the base and the door shot open. Gladio looked pleased with himself and took the lead.

Inside the warehouse, it was mostly dark and empty. Large black crates spotted the floors and a soft green light dimly illuminated the interior.

“What the hell?” Gladio’s voice was low and quiet and came from the light source. “Iggy get over here, quick.”

Ignis didn’t need to be told twice and jogged over, followed closely by Noct. Prompto was already staring down at what Gladio had found, eyes wide and unreadable. He looked horrified, confused, and excited somehow all at the same time. Ignis gently pushed passed the two.

The green glow was coming from a large, glass cylinder filled with bubbling water but otherwise empty. Beside it was a large steel dish with short walls reminding Ignis of a petri dish they used back in school for biology experiments. A small amount of water, maybe a couple inches, filled the dish while long chains extended from the edge towards the center. Ignis could barely comprehend what he saw in the middle of the dish.

A girl, woman… mostly. Her bare skin was pale, almost translucent in the parts what weren’t covered in iridescent scales. Fish scales, to be more precise, but harder like a reptile. They framed her on both sides of her from her toes, up her legs and sides, spotted her chest and neck, ending in small patches around her cheekbones and forehead. Her ears came to a point under messy, iridescent black and purple hair to match her scales. She had a set of gills along either side of her throat and ribcage. Her toes and fingers were webbed and came to a more dramatic point like claws rather than nails. A metal collar hung around her neck, covering most of the gills (which Ignis knew must be uncomfortable) while two more sets restrained her wrists and ankles. She was laying on her side, curled into herself and seemingly unaware of their presence.

There was a long silence among them before Prompto spoke. “W-We… we can’t just leave her here… right?”

“Is it alive?” Gladio asked a little more harshly than he meant it.

Ignis straightened his glasses and stepped into the dish, ignoring the squelching of his now soaked dress shoes. He approached her slowly but received no reaction from her. Her abnormally large eyes were closed and her form barely moved with the hint of breathing.

“She’s alive,” he informed the others and crouched beside her. She moaned quietly when his hand brushed carefully over her scales. “I believe shes been sedated.”

“What do we do?” Noctis asked impatiently.

Ignis stood with a blank expression, keeping his composure even. “That would be up to you, highness.”

Noctis looked to each of his crowns guard before glancing back at the creature. “We can’t leave her with the Empire. We know what kind of shit they’re capable of. She doesn’t deserve that, whatever she is.”

Gladio shrugged and joined Ignis in the water. “Lets get these chains off then.”

The two eldest got to work, freeing the prisoner and Prompto stared a lot harder and longer than the others, fear holding him in place. It wasn’t fear of the girl, however, but the ink that burned against his wrist under a black leather band.


	2. Chapter 2

It took them longer to get her out of the chains than Ignis would have liked and only managed it when they found the keys on an abandoned desk against the back wall of the warehouse.

“How long do you think she’s been in here?” Noctis asked quietly, turned away to keep an eye out for more soldiers.

Ignis replied with a distant mumble, focused solely on getting her free. “Hard to say.” As they finished he took her hand carefully, lifting it to inspect her wrist. They were all red and bruised, beads of blood still seeping from the scales in parts. “Odd.” He spoke quietly, mostly to himself but it drew their attention.

“What is it, specs?” Noctis asked impatiently, fidgeting every moment they weren’t leaving the base.

“It looks as though she’s been branded by the Empire. No doubt some sort of cataloging system for their ‘specimens’.” There was distaste in the word. Prompto went rigid but the others didn’t seem to notice.

“Bunch of monsters,” Gladio growled and moved his arms under her to gently scoop her up. “Let’s get moving.”

Ignis stepped in front of Gladio. “A moment.” He pulled his jacket off and wrapped it carefully around the girls shoulders. Although her scales gave off an illusion of being clothed, Ignis was a gentlemen and thought it would be better to aide in some modesty. All three of the others began to blush violently, realizing at the same time that she was, in fact, naked. The adviser wordlessly turned and led the others out, doing his best to ignore the discomfort of wet shoes and socks.

“Where are we going to take her?” Prompto asked quietly, pushing past the lump in his throat.

“As there are no bodies of water in the area, we’ll make camp at the nearby haven. She seems able to survive well enough out of water so hopefully we can rest and recover. Maybe find out who she is.”

“Or what?” Noctis added but Ignis turned to give him a quick warning glance.

“We’ll know more when she wakes.”

And that was the end of the discussion. They made it back to the car, laying they’re new passenger across the back seat, her head cradled in Gladio’s lap while her feet rested on Noct’s. Ignis took his normal seat behind the wheel and waited for Prompto to sluggishly pull his door shut before taking off quickly.

“Are you alright, Prompto?” Of course his change in attitude hadn’t slipped out of notice from the one tasked with caring for them. Prompto quickly brandished a transparent smile and nodded.

“Oh totally! I mean… other than finding what is basically a mermaid in a magitek storage facility, I am peachy,” his chipper tone was almost convincing, maybe for the other two, but Ignis saw through it easily enough.

Ignis nodded with a raised eyebrow. “This has been an unprecedented ‘bust a base’ indeed.” Prompto’s title sounded awkward coated in the adviser’s proper accent which made the blond’s smile a little more genuine. Ignis counted that a success on his part as his eyes flickered to Prompto’s wrist.

Prompto would tell them when he was ready, no need to push him. But, the least he could do was be there for the blond when he was having a rough time of it.  
The drive to the haven was a quiet one. Every hum or strange clicking sound she made would cause the entire car to stiffen in anticipation. Gladio carried her to the raised glowing stone while the others unloaded the car. He laid her carefully on the stone and then Ignis took over her care.

“Gladio, would you spare one of your extra shirts?”

“Yeah, but all I got are tank tops.”

“That would be best,” Ignis replied, once again focusing on the girl rather than Gladio.

The larger man grinned and shook his head. “Sure thing, Iggy.” They all found the new discovery fascinating but a mind like Iggy’s would have been completely enthralled with her. He was best equipped to deal with it anyways and they all knew it. Noctis and Prompto settled in nearby, watching Ignis carefully pull one of Gladio’s over sized shirts over her form. It was baggy on her and hung down to her thighs which was what Ignis had intended. Something loose so not to cause too much discomfort. Ignis broke his attention and turned up to the others.

“I shall start dinner for us but would one of you grab a couple towels from the car. We have a large pack of water bottles in the trunk.”

“Oh yeah, we should keep her damp since she’s from the ocean, right?” Prompto chimed in eagerly now.

Ignis nodded. “Soak the towels and keep the… gills damp, if you would.”

“Can do!” Prompto sang and jogged off towards the Regalia.

Prompto and Noctis teamed up on towel duty while Gladio set up their tent and Ignis made dinner. For a while, things were quiet. Ignis faced away from them and had nearly finished dinner when a series of sounds all at once pulled him out of his usual cooking meditation. He heard a fierce screech… or maybe a hiss with hard clicks mixed in at the same time Prompto and Noctis let out a startled cry. Prompto sucked in a breath, holding his arm, blood seeping from the edges and the girl was gone.

“What happened? Are you alright Prompto?”

The blond nodded but Noctis answered. “Yeah she woke up, freaked out and darted into the tent.”

In a flourish of movements, Ignis switched off the stove and took three long strides towards the tent’s still swinging flap. Gladio was at Prompto’s side, looking over the scratch marks across his arm.

“Nothing deep and unless she’s a werewolf, don’t think you’ll be turning into a merman anytime soon.” Prompto’s eyes went wide and Gladio grinned at him.

“Not funny, ass,” Prompto snapped and Ignis hushed them all.

He crouched at the opening and took the flap slowly between two fingers. “It is going to be okay. We mean you no harm,” he spoke softly and pulled the tent open a little. She pushed into the far corner a bit harder, curled in on herself making her form as small as she could manage. Her head popped up sharply at his voice, eyes wide and full of fear. They were violet and blinked with two sets of eyelids. Ignis’s face was soft and calm. She stared at him but flinched at every movement.   
“You’re safe. We took you away from the soldiers. No one is going to hurt you.” Ignis continued only because it seemed to be working. She understood him to some degree but he was unsure to what extent. Her head tilted from side to side and she slowly unfolded herself. Her hands came up forming two fists and Ignis tensed. Her left fist covered her right wrist and she pulled the left away and out. She did this three time before Ignis realized what it meant.

“You’re signing. Can you hear me?” She nodded slowly. “And you understand.” It was less of a question but she nodded in confirmation anyways. Ignis wracked his memories. He had learned several languages including signing but had a hard time remembering everything. He pulled out his phone and she recoiled. “Don’t be afraid. It’s my phone, I need to look up what that means. I’m afraid I am a bit rusty on my sign language.” He nodded to indicate her hands, still balled into fists. She inched a little closer, curiously staring at the strange devise in his hand. Ignis smiled a little when he found what he was looking for and glanced back up at the girl. She jumped back, startled like a skittish animal but Ignis continued to smile reassuringly at her. “Yes, you’re safe.”

Her hands came up again in a small circle before she held up her right pinky. Ignis understood that easily enough.

“We brought you to a haven… a safe place. Are you hungry?”

Her eyes widened a little more and she nodded.

“Will you come out of the tent?”

She looked up and around her at the canvas, reaching out to touch it. She looked startled when she realized the walls were soft. Pushing into them a few times in amusement. The she noticed the shirt she was wearing. She grabbed at it, pulling it away from her and looked a little startled when she noticed it was attached in some way.

She looked up at Ignis questioningly. “Wear it for now. It’s something humans have to wear.” She frowned but Ignis held his hand out with another smile. She froze, staring at it. “Come, lets get some food. I made fish and rice. I think you will like it.” Her head cocked to the side again and she slowly reached her hand out for his. Her skin was cold to the touch and had a rubber texture to it. Ignis tugged at it a little, encouraging her to move forward and she followed. He stood up, outside of the tent and waited as her head popped out of the opening to inspect her surroundings. She stared at the other three long and hard a moment.

They stared back.

Prompto smiled and she crawled out slowly, looking between him and his arm. Her right hand came up in a fist, making a small circle over her chest.

“She is apologizing,” Ignis said looking to Prompto. He seemed more confused now. “She is quite intelligent. She can understand us and has been taught basic sign language it seems. I assume by the Empire.” She nodded in confirmation.

“Shit, how long did they have you?” Gladio’s deep voice caught her off guard and she sank back, several clicks emanating from her throat.

 _Is this a test? Is this training?_ Her hand motions were slow and hesitant. Ignis was tapping away at his phone quickly before frowning and looking to her.

“No testing and no more training,” he finally answered slow and deliberate. She still seemed confused but nodded once and continued out of the tent. “Questions later, Gladio. Once she’s more comfortable.” Ignis added quietly and led the girl towards the chairs around the fire.

“Hi, I’m Prompto… we met earlier,” the blond said in a chipper voice but the girl moved passed him, eyes wide and hooked on the flickering light in the middle of camp. Prompto awkwardly grasped at the back of his neck while Noctis cackled to the side. She moved closer to the light, further drawn in by the heat emanating from the orange flickering waves. Her hand reached out for it, wanting to feel the warmth but jumped when a loud voice caught her attention.

“Oh no, no!” Prompto was at her side but hesitant to touch her arm. She froze and looked up at him horrified. “It’s fire. It’ll burn you… it’ll hurt.” Ignis’ attention was now turned to the pair, watching carefully, plates in his hand. Her head tilted to one side and then ducked low like a puppy that had been caught doing something wrong. “Oh… oh! No, you aren’t in trouble or anything… just… I didn’t want you to hurt yourself.” She nodded quickly and turned to Ignis, shuffling towards the stove. Her attention scattered and curious.

“Come, have a seat,” the adviser spoke gently and motioned for one of the chairs. She looked at him and then the chair before picking it up. The other three let lose simultaneous snorts and Ignis smiled, holding in his own. “I meant, sit down on the chair.”

Her eyes widened once more in understanding and she set it down before taking a seat, inspecting Gladio for reference. Her legs spread out and her elbows came to rest on her knees in a stiff posture. Gladio snorted again, almost spitting out his drink in the process while Prompto and Noctis went red in the face.

“Already instilling bad manners in her and we barely just met. Honestly, Gladio,” Ignis chided and pulled a chair closer to her, handing her the plate. “Sitting as I do may suit you better.” His back straightened and one leg crossed over the other. She balanced her plate of food carefully as she moved to mimic Ignis. “Very good.” Here eyes lit up further with the confirmation. Ignis nodded towards her plate and she sniffed at it then looked up confused. Her fingers… claws came up to her lips.

 _Food?_ She signed doubtfully and Ignis froze. A hint of hurt crossed his face and the other’s eyes went wide.

“Did we seriously find someone that… doesn’t like Iggy’s cooking?” Prompto whispered to Noctis and the Prince shrugged.

“Maybe she doesn’t like her fish cooked,” he replied and Ignis perked up at this.

“How foolish of me. Of course you would not be accustomed to cooking.” There was an air of relief and he stood, retrieving one of the raw fish from the cooler, putting it on a new plate and presenting her with it. She looked confused but her nose twitched a couple times and she eagerly traded plates with him. The fish was decently sized, ends hanging from either side of the plate. She set the plate down and picked up the fish with hungry eyes. Her jaw opened but far wider than any of them expected, reveling two long rows of sharpened teeth. They froze again, this time their eyes wide as she shoved it into her mouth and bit viciously into the head. The fish was gone in three more bites and she smiled, holding her plate back up for Ignis while signing _“more?”_.


	3. Chapter 3

The girl was fast asleep almost immediately after her fourth and their last fish. Noctis would have to replenish their stock, not that he’d have any problems with that. Ignis carried her into the tent, keeping the damp towels around her while she slept to keep her comfortable. He started to move away but found himself frozen for a brief moment, taking her in. The scales sparkled dimly in the firelight that leaked through the front of the tent. Her long, thick hair shimmered in the same light, tossed across her arms and the sleeping bag where she lay. It looked impossibly soft to the touch. His heart sped up a little and Ignis took a deep breath, shaking himself from his trance and straightening his glasses before rejoining the group.

There was a flush to his cheeks that escaped all but Gladio’s attention. The two younger had pushed their chairs closer and were deep in a game of King’s Knight but Gladio stared up at Ignis with a crooked grin. The adviser blushed a little harder and he cleared his throat, retrieving his cup of tea before taking a seat.

There was a short pause of silence before Gladio finally spoke up, a little louder than Ignis would have liked. “So the fish girl’s kinda pretty,” his voice was gruff with an edge of amusement. Noctis and Prompto’s heads shot up towards Gladio noticing the knowing look he gave Ignis.

The adviser cleared his throat, attempting to ignore the eyes on him and hold his composure. “I suppose she is, though, I have not met many mermaids to compare her to. Regardless, we should discuss what to do with her. I suspect she will need to be returned to the water.”

“Road trip to Galdin Quay?” Prompto asked cheerfully.

“That would have the safest coastline that is easily assessable,” Ignis agreed. “However, I would like to stop off in Lestallum first.”

Gladio leaned forward in his chair with a raised brow. “Oh yeah? What for?” His voice was dripping with a smugness that received a glare in return. Noctis and Prompto watched the show, confused, but amused with Gladio taunting Ignis.

The adviser removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose between two fingers. His eyes squeezed shut for a brief moment before he replaced them and looked at Gladio with a stone stare. “I am rather rusty on my sign language as I have never needed it until now. I think it would be easier for me to pick up a book in Lestallum for reference. I cannot continuously have my phone out while communicating with her. I would like to brush up on it in my spare time, though sparse, to make this trip easier. It seems she has little to no knowledge of the world outside her home and the Empire’s facility. We will need to be patient but also cautious around her. We do not know how long they had her nor what they did or planned to do. We cannot let her seeming innocence blind us to the possible threat.”

“Speak for yourself,” Gladio mumbled.

“Is there something you would like to say, Gladio?” Ignis snapped, sharper than he meant to but the quieter two looked on with wider eyes.

“No, no, nothing. Just wondering if you’ll be able to follow your own advise.”

“Did I miss something?” Noctis snapped, tired of guessing what was going on.

Gladio and Ignis were silent, staring one another down a moment before Gladio spoke. “No, nothin’. We should get some sleep. I’ll keep watch for a while.”

“Wake me in a few hours to take over,” Ignis replied stiffly and Gladio nodded. Prompto and Noctis exchanged shrugs but didn’t hesitate to climb into the tent, careful not to disturb their visitor against the far wall. Ignis climbed in and positioned himself between Noctis and the girl while Gladio sat down at the entrance. Ignis carefully removed his glasses, setting them on the ground above his head and rolled to his side, to better ignore Gladio’s gaze. He found himself facing the girl, her breathing a little quicker and a little more rough than it was before. Ignis assumed it was a nightmare. She had been through plenty. It wouldn’t be uncommon.

He often thought of the nightmares Prompto must have had to wake him in the night. He didn’t know anyone had noticed but Ignis often found him gasping awake in a cold sweat, sometimes tears came with them, other times he could fall back to sleep almost immediately. Those were the instances he wanted to confront Prompto the most, if anything to help. He shouldn’t have to go through that alone.

He rolled onto his back, realizing he would not be able to fall asleep as long as he was facing her. His mind rushed with too many thoughts and questions. It was still some time before he fell asleep.

The night was uneventful and Ignis was up early without Gladio having to wake him. He sent the shield to bed and exited the tent to retrieve an ebony. A thin layer of clouds spotted the sky painted in bright shades of oranges, reds and purples. It was brisk and a bit damp so Ignis retrieved a blanket from the tent and wrapped himself up beside the dying embers of the fire. It was incredibly quiet, save for a handful of waking birds and chirping insects. He eventually pulled his phone out, finding himself typing “mermaid” in the web browser and feeling rather ridiculous for it. Most articles covered the usual myths and pop culture uses.

One, however, caught his attention. A plain website, simple black text over a white background, wrote of the Children of the Tidemother. The gods were known for known for entrusting their will through messengers and this article described a rare and ancient race of people which served Leviathan. They looked mostly human but possessed the traits of their goddess. They acted as ambassadors for the goddess to the humans as they were amphibious in nature and could transform their tails into legs to walk. So she had a tail. They had not been seen or heard from since the Astral War and assumed extinct or deep in the ocean, vanishing from human knowledge.

Ignis sat back in his chair, reading through the article a second time. If this was true, this girl was a messenger of the gods. She was part Astral. He sighed and looked up from his phone, jumping when he realized he was not alone. She had not made a sound when she emerged from the tent and came to stand behind him. She was hunched over, staring at the devise in his hand, eyes wide and curious. Ignis couldn’t hide a smile.

“Can you read it?” he asked her and she frowned.

_A little._ She signed.  _They teach me what I need to know._

“I see. This article is a story about your kind,” she perked up and came around to crouch in front of him, listening intently. “It says you are a messenger of the Hydraean.” She tilted her head and then shook it, indicating she didn’t know the name. “Leviathan?” She shook her head again. “She is also called the Tidemother.” The girl’s eyes lit up and she nodded signing “ mother” repeatedly. “Are you a messenger?”

_Long time._ She signed, unable to elaborate. It would make sense that her language barrier was only what the Empire would have taught her and they would have been strict. What she “needed to know”. He thought angrily. He noticed her wide, purple eyes staring up at him curiously as though trying to work something out. He was lost a moment, staring back and suddenly his glasses were gone. She’d snatched them off his nose in lightning fast movements and was now wandering away from his, dangling them in front of her face. She squinted at them, trying to figure out what they were and Ignis stood quickly, causing her to jump.

“Ah… careful with those,” he kept his voice gentle but it was laced with worry. She looked at him briefly then back at his glasses and carefully placed them on her face. Her small, sharp nose barely held them up as she squinted at him through the lenses. Ignis tried to hold in a laugh, attempting to convey the severity of her stolen treasure but the moment she turned and squinted at him he lost his composure, laughing a bit louder than he meant to. She grinned at him, seeing his pleased reaction before carefully removing them and handing them back.

_Why?_ She asked as Ignis cleaned the smudges from the lenses and replaced his glasses.

“My eyes… need help. It is easier to see with them on. She gave him a short nod and looked down, her expression now sad.

_Doctor’s eyes need help._ Ignis had to look up the sign for “doctor” but she didn’t seem to mind. Her movements were small and nervous now.

“Doctor? The one that did the testing on you?” She nodded and turned away, seemingly uninterested in the conversation so Ignis let it go for now. She wondered around the camp asking about different objects for almost an hour until the others slowly began to rise, one by one.

“Good morning, mermaid!” Prompto exclaimed cheerfully as he emerged from the tent. She cocked her head but smiled at him. “Did any of us bother asking your name?” He suddenly asked and the camp went quiet.

_Name?_ She signed.

“What should we call you?” Ignis clarified and she understood.

_Doctor called me 02816._ She replied and pointed to the bar code on her wrist. They froze, a mix of shock and anger crossing their faces. Prompto began to shake, pulling Noctis’s attention to his friend.

“Well that won’t do,” Ignis declared, louder than his usual speech which distracted Noctis from the blond. “You will need a proper name.”

“What was your name… you know… before you were captured?” Noctis was the first to ask. Ignis had begun prepping breakfast for them off to the side as they spoke, keeping an eye on the girl to translate her signing for the others.

All of their hands shot to their ears as a series of high pitch screeches and loud clicks came from her in response.

“What the hell?” Gladio roared and she started at his voice, ducking low and backing away quickly.

“Gladio, I’ll ask that you watch your tone around her so not to scar the girl,” Ignis replied sharply. “Those sounds are what sea mammals use to communicate with one another. It makes sense that her name would also be in that… language, if you will.”

“Right…” he replied, his voice gentle once more. “Sorry… it startled me, is all,” he explained and she slowly uncurled herself but waited before moving forward.

“Well I don’t think I can pronounce that so can we give you a name in our language?” Prompto sang. She smiled at him and nodded. “Awesome! So what should we call her?”

Noctis hummed and looked up. “What about Trevally?” he asked, pleased with himself. She tilted her head again and looked to Ignis for confirmation. He was frowning.

“We are absolutely not naming her after a fish, Highness,” he snapped wearily. Noctis dropped into his chair with crossed arms to pout. The girl looked confused but chose to sit down next to him, watching him with concern.

Gladio spoke up next, to Ignis’s surprise. “What about a flower? Like a water lily… or something. I don’t know, it’s better than a fish.” He grumbled a little when he noticed everyone’s surprised expressions. The girl stared up at him and then looked to Ignis again for confirmation.

“Lily is a lovely name, Gladio. What do you think?” Ignis turned to her and she smiled.

_How do I say?_

“Ah, a moment,” Ignis replied and pulled out his phone. “There is no sign for Lily specifically so we shall spell it out.”

_Do not know._ She replied and Ignis frowned.

“They didn’t teach you an alphabet?”

_Only words._

Ignis sighed sadly. “Very well, I shall teach you then! Your name, L, I, L, and Y.” His fingers formed an L shape, then his pinky finger came up, followed again by the L and ending with his pinking and thumb sticking out in either direction. She mimicked him several times as her smile grew, signing her name over and over again. Ignis smiled and returned to cooking breakfast, finding her smile burnt into his mind.


	4. Chapter 4

They discovered rather quickly that, along with raw fish, Lily had an irresistible taste for eggs after going through seven of them… whole. Ignis was patient and spent their breakfast teaching her the letters for each of their names as well. She was smart. Smarter than he originally thought and picked up on things almost immediately. She seemed to be a sponge and constantly wanted to know more.

_Where now?_ She asked after giving Ignis’s sleeve a little tug.

“We are going to a larger town called Lestallum. I would like to pick up a book on sign language to expand both of our vocabulary.”

She tilted her head in confusion, only understanding some of the words. She thought she remembered some of them mentioned when she was captive but couldn’t recall the meanings.

“A dictionary will be helpful as well, I should think,” he continued absentmindedly as he packed up the cooking utensils. She tugged at his sleeve again and signed “what” a couple of times. “Apologies, Lily. I would like to teach you more words and their meanings. A dictionary will help us with that.” She gave a little nod, understanding him a bit better but still not completely. She didn’t know what a book was or the sign for it to ask but assumed she’d know what he meant when she saw it.

Her lungs seized on her and a handful of dry coughs pulled everyone's attention to her. Ignis was at her side with something in his hand.

“Are you alright?” he asked, worry filling his tone.

She nodded quickly, signing “thank you” a couple times.

“Water?” he asked handing her the bottle. She stared at it and made a hand motion, pinky and thumb touching while her three middle fingers touched her lips. “Water,” he repeated in confirmation. She smiled and lifted the bottle over her head, dumping the contents over herself cheerfully. Ignis and Noctis, the only two that saw it happen, stared at her. She grinned and handed him the bottle back signing “water” once more. Ignis pulled out another bottle and took a sip before handing it to her. She looked on curiously.

“You don’t drink water, of course. You must absorb it to stay hydrated.” He was speaking to himself again but Lily took the bottle and mimicked what he did. She swallowed the first sip, smiled and proceeded to chug the rest of the bottle in a single swig. “Glad to see you are no restricted to salt water.”

_Fresh water, good. Salt water best._ She explained, though Ignis had to look up the meanings for “fresh” and “salt”.

“We should get on the road. The sooner I get my hands on that book, the better I shall feel.”

“All packed up, specs,” Noctis called out from the back of the regalia. They had left it parked near the haven, knowing they would want to make camp ofter the base infiltration. Ignis offered Lily his hand and she took it, staring off towards the large black shiny object the others were getting into.

“This is a vehicle. A car,” Ignis explained and signed “car” for her. “It will take us to Lestallum.” She stared at it with wide eyes, worried that the others had been swallowed by the beast. “Safe,” Ignis added, reassuringly. Noctis was already in the driver’s seat and turned to see Ignis out the window.

“I assumed you’d want to ride in the back with her… you know, in case she doesn’t like the ride.”

“With you driving, I could hardly blame her,” Ignis replied with a short smile and the prince rolled his eyes.

“Well she likes you best so you’re in the back with her. That way you’ll be distracted from my driving,” Noctis flashed him his own smirk and the adviser rolled his eyes, ushering her into the back seat. She sat in the middle, sandwiched between Gladio and Ignis, curled into herself keeping her form as small as possible. The over sized, now damp, tank top clung to her scales in parts causing her to pull and tug at the fabric.

“I am afraid we’ll have to put you in more clothing in order to get you through Lestallum without drawing attention.” Ignis commented, noticing her discomfort. She let out a defeated sigh and sat still. “Lily, do you know how long the Empire had you in their custody?”

She thought about it carefully before signing the numbers 7, 9, and 4. Prompto (who had pivoted his body around to be a part of the conversation) and Gladio’s eyes went wide but Ignis’s composure held.

“I assume days and not hours,” Prompto whispered.

_Days._ She confirmed sadly.

“Over two years. I cannot imagine what you must have went through. I am sorry your first encounter with humans went so poorly. What you must think of us now.”

Her hand came out and touched Ignis’s, worry crossing her face, noticing the distress in his.

She shook her head.  _Not all bad. Ignis good._ She motioned to everyone in the car.  _Good._ And then she smiled and Ignis melted.

The drive to Lestallum was quiet, Lily staring out the windows in a trance in between staring at the pages of Gladio’s book. She didn’t understand most of the words but found it fascinating, regardless. They nearly made it there without incident when Noctis let out an angry curse. Lily jumped and pushed into Ignis.

“We’ve got company,” the prince growled and the Regalia screeched to a halt. Lily began to hiss, distressed clicks coming from her in rapid succession.

“It is going to be alright. Stay here,” Ignis quickly instructed, following the other three out of the car. The group of MTs dropped from the Magitek Engine, hovering above the road and started marching towards them.

Noctis warped in first and without hesitation, Prompto’s gunshots popping through the air, providing cover. Gladio charged in, catching up with the prince, sticking close by and throwing wide, deadly swings at the enemies. Ignis worked on an assassin nearby, taking quick slices at it while dogging the spinning blades. He was fine until a second joined. He dispatched the first and turned to engage the second as one of the daggers came down towards his chest. Ignis braced himself, ready for a pain that never came. Lily was standing beside him, the MTs arm clutched in her hand so tightly that the steel armor began to creak and bend under her claws. The MT dropped it’s dagger, his arm useless in her grasp. Her other hand lashed out, claws raking over the MTs power core, glowing red in its chest. The thing screeched loudly and Lily lifted him, with an angry screech of her own and tossed it into the fray as if it weighed nothing. Gladio barely made it out of the way and looked on in shock as she stood in front of Ignis, partially crouched and hissing like a wild animal at the enemies.

She launched into the fray, Ignis close behind her taking out one after another. Sniper fire ricocheted into the group when there were only a couple MTs left standing. Ignis launched at Lily, grabbing her and pulling her down to the ground at the same time Gladio yelled Noctis’s name. Prompto fired back and the last MT dropped.

“Are you okay?” Ignis asked her, pushing himself up and helping her stand. She nodded, clearly shaken.

“Iggy!” Prompto and Noctis called out his name at the same time, both high pitched and panicked. The blood left his face as he turned to find Prompto bouncing in a panic next to Noctis, still on the pavement. He was pinned down by Gladio’s huge form, bleeding and unmoving. Ignis took three quick strides and, as carefully as he could, pulled Gladio off Noct and looked him over.

“Are you hurt?” he asked Noctis, looking to the prince briefly before moving to Gladio.

“N-No, Gladio… h-he…” Noctis couldn’t finish. Instead he growled and his hand came down onto the pavement hard in anger. Gladio was on his stomach, a steady stain of blood soaking the lining of his jacket and pouring onto the pavement. Ignis pulled the leather away from his back, pushing one hand hard into the wound while the other snaked to the front, looking for an exit.

“Shit,” Ignis hissed quietly, barely aware of Lily standing behind him, staring on with wide, fearful eyes. “The bullet’s still inside. We can’t give him a potion like this.”

“Then get it out,” the large man choked out under Ignis. Blood now seeping out of a grimace. He was breathing hard and shallow, most likely the result of a punctured lung.

“I can’t get it out as it is, Gladio.” Ignis’s voice was strained and angry. Lily inched around and knelt on the other side of the larger man while Noctis and Prompto hovered out of the way.

_I help._ She looked at Ignis with a hopeful smile and brought her hand down, pushing Ignis’s carefully out of the way. Gladio hissed and choked on a few coughs at the change in pressure on his back. They were frozen, completely taken off guard by what happened next. 

Humming, more beautiful than any song they could remember, vibrated through the air. It was loud and soft at the same time, powerful but sounded as a lullaby. They all suddenly felt relaxed and sleepy and unable to imagine this ever stopping. Lily’s eyes closed and she swayed, one hand pressed firmly into Gladio’s back and the other, brushing gently over the side of his face as though to calm him.

Gladio went still under Ignis’s lingering hand which was the only thing that managed to break the trance. “Gladio?” Ignis shook the man, panic rising in his voice.

“Gladio!” Noctis yelled his name that time and the shield took in a deep, surprised breath. At the same time the humming cut off into a fit of dry coughs and Lily started to tip to one side. Prompto was there in an instant to catch her while Ignis helped Gladio sit up.

“What the hell happened?” he asked, still breathing hard but seeming uninjured.

Ignis was already moving to Lily’s side as he answered. “It would seem Lily has some rather formidable healing magic.” His attention shifted, kneeling in front of her. “Lily? What’s wrong? Are you injured?” She shook her head continuing the violent coughs as though it were becoming harder for her to breathe.

He took her shoulders between his hands but pulled away quickly when he saw the pale, sickly scales shedding. “Damn it. We need to get to Lestallum and to the hotel quickly.” Ignis helped her up, noticing the angry glare from Gladio. Lily was barely on her feet when she collapsed into Ignis, unconscious.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sorry it's a short one but the next one is longer!

Gladio and Noctis made quick work of clearing the MT bodies off the road before they continued on. Ignis kept wet towels wrapped around her the best he could while Noctis lead footed it the rest of the way to the city. Everyone was silent. Lily remained unconscious, sounding as though every breath pained her. Once parked in Lestallum, Ignis wrapped her in a light blanket, covering most of her physical traits that would draw the most attention and started to pick her up.

“Let me,” Gladio grunted and scooped her up, nodding Ignis forward.

As they made their way to the hotel Ignis spoke up. “Prompto, would you go to the market for me and get a large container or bag of salt?” Prompto seemed confused for a moment but nodded.

“I’ll go with,” Noctis added and jogged off with the blond. Gladio and Ignis continued to the hotel. The adviser’s eyes flickered between a stone faced Gladio and the ailing girl he was starting to care for in his arms. They had only just met and he knew it was completely illogical for him to have such feelings for her but he couldn’t deny something was there. Perhaps it was more of an educational infatuation with discovering something new. That thought alone made him scoff quietly to himself.

“You guys made it back!” A high, excited voice pulled Ignis from his thoughts and he looked up to see Gladio’s younger sibling greeting them from the lobby. Her face flipped to concern when she saw the body Gladio was carrying.

“Prompto and Noctis are retrieving something from the market for me. We found a… this girl is ill and needs our help.”

“Want me to call a doctor for you?” Iris offered, following the two up the stairs.

“That won’t be necessary, Iris, but thank you. I can handle it. Would you send the other two up when they arrive?”

Iris took the hint and stopped in the middle of the staircase, letting them leave her behind. “Yeah… can do.”

Ignis led Gladio into their room and moved ahead to start the bath, filling it with cooler water. Gladio held onto her, a scowl present on his face but not directed towards Lily. Instead he watched Ignis. The adviser moved stiffly, a tinge of guilt rising within him. He’d made a mistake. One that he would have done again but one that was wrong, nevertheless. When the bath was full, Ignis carefully unwrapped the small girl in Gladio’s arms before the large man lowered her carefully into the tub. She sucked in a breath, though neither could tell if it was pain or relief. Perhaps both. The tub was large, the largest in the hotel since they were in the royal suit. She could easily lay inside of it without reaching the base and the tub was a little over two feet tall.

Her knees came up and legs pushed together as something began to change. Her scales brightened ever-so-slightly as they spread over a wider portion of her form until a long, wavy tail curled under the water like a large flower on a shimmering stock. She didn’t come too immediately but seemed more restful now.

Ignis, once again, had a hard time turning away from her in her full form. Gladio nodded once, satisfied and let the bathroom without a second look at Ignis.

The adviser followed him out and glanced over at Gladio, the sting of guilt intensifying in his chest, though he tried to hide it. He knew why Gladio was upset but his own stubbornness won over.

Ignis closed the bathroom door quietly and turned to the shield. “I can’t help but notice you have something you’d like to get off your chest, Gladio.”

The shield let out an angry hiss and turned on Ignis. “You protected the wrong fucking person today, Scientia.”

There was a tense pause.

“We are all she has, Gladio. We are the only ones who can keep her safe.” Ignis cursed his own pride. Gladio was right but that only angered him further.

The large man took in a deep breath. “Listen, I like her too. A lot. She grows on you fast and I still can’t figure why. It’s up to us to protect the citizens of Lucis and get her home safely. But you need to remember who you swore that oath to, Ignis.”

“You’re right. I have trained my entire life to let nothing get in between me and my charge. I never even considered…”

“That you’d find someone capable of that. I get it Iggy. You’re lucky I was there today. But you gotta remember who takes priority.”

“I must admit, I am rather ashamed of myself. Forgive me, Gladio. You took a bullet for Noctis today and I can’t help but feel as though I failed all of you.” Ignis sighed, taking a seat on the edge of the bed.

“Everyone lived, didn’t they? ‘Sides, what good is a shield if it can’t take a beating every now and again?” Ignis rolled his eyes, pulling his glasses away to clean the lenses. Gladio’s heavy hand clapped down on Ignis’s shoulder. “You’re allowed some distractions every now and again, Iggy. They’re good for you. Just don’t forget about the rest of us if we end up in another fight, yeah?” Gladio stood. “Spend time with her while you can. But she can’t stay long. You know if we don’t get her to the ocean, she’ll die.”

Ignis nodded. “I assumed as much.” He stood up, replacing his glasses and started for the bathroom door. “I’m going to keep an eye on her. Let me know if you need anything. Prompto and Noctis should return shortly. A salt bath should improve her condition so we can get on the road.” Gladio nodded and Ignis disappeared through the door.


End file.
